Movable worktable for presses



1951 H. E. FOLKERTH, SR

MOVABLE WORK TABLE FOR PRESSES 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed April 8, 1949INVENTO W 2;

H/S 4 TTOENE Y5 H. E. FOLKERTH, SR

MOVABLE WORK TABLE FOR PRESSES Oct, 16, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FiledApril 8, 1949 IN VEN TOR. M6 lb.

Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT GF-F'I'CE MOVABLE WGRKTABLEFOR *PRES-SES Harold E. Folkerth, 'sr., Dayton, Ohio Application AprilB,1949, Serial No. 86,183

4 Claims. (Cl. 164-117) This invention relates to-a feeding device andmore particularly to a feeding dev ice for feeding a work piece intosuccessive operative positions.

The object of the device disclosed herein is to provide-a mechanism .foraccurately positioning a workpiece in-a plurality ofpositions in steppedrelation, the work piece being fed in successive steps bothin-rows-and'tiers, the mechanism automatically presenting the workmaterial in each of the positions without the attention of the operator,said mechanismoperating in synchronism with the tooioperating upon thework piece, such as a drill, punch,-die, or any other suitable worktool. This has been accomplished by the use of a pair of cams, one ofwhich actuates a work table in one direction through a'plurality ofsteps, the other of which actuates the work table in a transversedirection upon the completion of the movement'of the work table in 'thefirst direction, the cams operating alternately, one cam actuating the"table in a plurality of steps in sequence in one direction, theotheractuating the work table only one step in a transverse direction betweeneach sequence of steps.

Other objects-and advantages reside in-the construction of parts, thecombination thereof and the mode of operatio'mas will become moreapparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a work table and thecontrol mechanismtherefor for usewith a drill press, a punch-press or any other suitabletool, the tool having been omitted from the disclosure.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially onthe line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially'onthe line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially onthe line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure '5 is a schematic wiring diagram used in controlling themovements of the work table.

In the'drawings, the reference character If] indicates a bed or a framefor supporting the mechanism used-in association with the work feedingdevice. As may best be seen in Figures 2 and 3, a base 12 is supportedupon the bed [0. This base I2 supports a guide member 14 provided with adovetail groove '16 receiving a dovetail guide portion l8 of a movablemember 20. This movable member '20 is provided with an upwardly directedtransversely disposed dovetail guide portion 22 seated in a dovetailgroove in the work table 24. Members 12 and 14 are stationary and alwaysremain in fixed relation with respect to .12 the frame l 0. -Mov-ablemember 20 is mounted for longitudinal movement with respect to= theguide member M. The work table "-24 is mounted for transverse movementupon the "movable member 20.

As may best 'be seen by referring to Figure '-2, the work table 24 isalways biased to "the right, as viewed in-t-his figure, by a pair ofcompressien springs '26, only one-ofwh-ich has been shown, engaging theheads of' p'lungers 28 mounted for reciprocatorymovement-inbearings 3 0and abutting stop members 32 'fixedly-atta'ched to the base [2. Movablemember Ellis always biased "to the left, as viewed in Figure '3,-bya-pair of plungers 34, spring urged in a-manner identical to thatdisclosed in connection with the plungers -28. Each of the plungers 34engages a stop 36, fixed- 1y attached to the bed or-frame 10.The-driving mechanism for intermittentlyoperating members 20 and 24 willnow be described.

An electric motor 40, mounted -on'a frame l-l, actuates a speed reducinggear-mechanism-42, having anoutput shaft 44 keyed-to a clutchmember 46.A shaft 48 is journalled -in suitable bearings in a standard 50 mountedon the frame =l-l and in a standard "52 mounted on-the bed H3. Theshaft-48 has one end 'rotatably mounted in the'clutch member 46, so asto maintain alignment. A complementary clutch member 54 is splined tothe shaft 48 and may be 'actuate'dby a ,yoke 56electromagnetically"controlled by an armature 58 of a solenoid 60 intoengagement with the clutch member "46, so as to drive the shaft 48 fromthe motor .40 whenever the clutch members are in engagement.

The shaft '48 has keyedthereto a cammember 62 actuating a cam follower"64 mounted for reciprocatory movement in a bearing .66 in the standard50. The end of the cam follower 64 engages the side of the work table24, so that as the cam member 62 is rotated from one'cam surface levelto .another cam surface level, the table i either actuated away from thecam by the cam follower or actuated towards'the cam by 'the compressionspring "26, depending upon whether successive cam surface levels have anincreasing radius .or a decreasing radius. Each of the cam surfacelevels is .arcuate. When the radius is increasingfrom one 'c'amsurface"level to another, the work table :24 is actuated away from the .cam, soas to progressively compress the spring '26 andretractthe plungers 28.This takes place during 'half of a revolution of the shaft '48. "Duringthe other halfof the revolution of the 'shaft, the cam "followerrecedes, so as to permit the work table to move in step towards the cam.The cam surface 62a is an arcuate surface centered on the axis ofrotation of the shaft 48. The cam surface 62b is another arcuate camsurface on another level, that is, the radius of the arcuate surface 62bis also centered on the axis of rotation of the shaft 48. The radius ofthe arcuate surface 62b is less than the radius of the arcuate surface62a. Between the arcuate cam surfaces 62a and 62b is a cam followeractuating surface 63 used in moving the-cam follower 64 from one camsurface level to another level. The cam surfaces 62b, 62c, 52d and 62ahave radii progressively decreasing in length. The radii of the camsurfaces 82 62g and back to 62a progressively increase in length, forreasons which will appear more fully later.

A bevelled gear I is keyed to the end of the shaft 48 and meshes with apinion I2 keyed to a shaft I4 journalled in suitable bearings in thestandard 52 and having keyed thereto a pair of cams I6 and I8. The gearratio of the gears I0 and I2 is such that the cam I6 will make onehalfrevolution during the period of time that the cam follower 64 passe overone cam surface. For example, the cam I6 will actuate the table 24 andmovable member 20 through four steps while the cam follower 64 passesover one cam surface 62a or any one of the other cam surfaces 621) to62f. A cam follower 80 is interposed between the cam I6 and the worktable 24, so that as the cam I6 rotates, the cam follower 80 actuatesthe work table 24 in one direction. During the other half revolution ofthe cam I6, a spring (not shown) interposed behind the plunger 34,actuates the work table and member 20 towards the cam I6.

As may best be seen by referring to Figures 1, 3 and 5, a microswitch 82is provided with a switching element or cam follower 84 contacting thecam I8. This cam I8 is provided with a plurality of notches 86, therebeing one notch for each of the cam surfaces 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, Hie,16f, 16g (not shown) and 16h. Whenever the cam follower 84 of themicroswitch 82 drops into a recess, it actuates the microswitch 82. Thismicroswitch 82 is a 2-way switch, as shown in Figure 5. For example, theswitching element or cam follower 84 may be spring urged by means of aspring 85, as shown schematically in'Figure 5, and terminates in a hook88 engaging a lobe or ratchet tooth in member 90 mounted on the shaft 92used in actuating the switch.

The 2-way switch 82 in one position is connected to a line 94 and whenactuated into another position is connected in a line'96. These linesare connected to two poles of a 2-way switch I00 actuated by means of ashaft I02 provided with a ratchet I04 actuated by a pawl I06 that ispreferably connected to the drill press head or the punch press head insuch a manner that whenever the punch press operates, it switches thecontacts from one line 84 to line 96 or vice versa.

The common terminal of the switch I00 i connected to the input circuit.The other line of the input circuit is connected to the electromagnet orsolenoid 60 having the other terminal connected by a line I III to apair of microswitches I I2 and I I4, both normally closed. Thesemicroswitches H2 and H4 are mounted within a suitable cavity in memberI2. The work table 24 has mounted therein a downwardly directed pin II6that is free to travel within a slot H8 in member, this slot I I8extending parallel to the dovetail guide 22. Furthermore, the pin IIGextends into an annular aperture I20 in members I2 and I4. The slot II8has been shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and the annular aperture I20has been shown as a dotted circle in Figure 1.

Whenever the work table reaches one extremity, the pin I I6 actuates themicroswitch I I2, so as to open-circuit the line through the solenoid60. This is to arrest the operation of the machinery whenever all of theholes have been drilled or punched in a work piece. Another work pieceis then placed in the machine and the circuit closed by means of'a pushbutton switch I30 connected in parallel across the two microswitches H2and H4, which causes the work table to reverse its path to drill holesin the new work piece an identical pattern to the previou work piece,but in a reverse direction, until the pin [I6 actuates the microswitchH4. The entire operation on the work piece represents one-halfrevolution of the cam 62. The second piece is controlled by the otherhalf of the cam 62 cansing the work table and the cams to move into theposition in which they are found when the first work piece was put intothe machine. In other words, when the cam 62 rotates through onerevolution, it represents two half cycles, each half cycle completingthe operation on a work piece.

The circuit arrangement shown in Figure 5 is schematic and merely shownfor the purpose of illustration. Any other suitable circuit arrangementaccomplishing the same results could be used. 7

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, itwill be understood that within the purview of this invention variouschanges may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement ofparts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generallystated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects setforth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An actuating device for actuating the work table to present work toan operating tool such as a drill press, punch press and the like. saidactuating device including acam, electromagnetically controlled clutchmechanism for intermittently rotating the cam, a cam follower actuatedby the cam, said cam follower being connected to the work table so as toactuate the work table in response to changes in the contour of the cam,a second cam. means for driving said second cam, said means including agear mechanism whereby the second cam makes a predetermined number ofrevolutions while the first cam makes one revolution. and a second camfollower actuated by the second cam, said second cam follower engagingthe work table so as to move the work table in a direction normal to themovements imparted to the work table by the first cam follower, saidsecond cam imparting a series ofpair of cams, cam followers extendingfrom the cams to the work support, each of said cams having a series ofconcentric cam surfaces, successive cam surfaces progressivelyincreasing in diameter throughout one-half of the cam and progressivelydecreasing throughout the other half of the cam, means forintermittently driving one of the cams, and a change speed device forconnecting the other cam to said one cam, said change speed devicecausing said other cam to make a predetermined number of revolutionswhile the first cam makes one revolution, said cams rotating in planesat right angles toeach other, one of said cams intermittently actuatingthe work table in one direction through a series of steps duringone-half of a revolution, after which the other cam actuates the worktable in a direction normal to said first direction through one step.

3. An actuating device for actuating the work table to present work toan operating tool such as a drill press, punch press and the like, saidactuating device including a cam, means for intermittently rotating thecam, a cam follower actuated by the cam, said cam follower beingconnected to the work table so as to actuate the work table in responseto changes in the contour of the cam, a second cam, means for drivingsaid second cam, said means including a gear mechanism whereby thesecond cam makes a predetermined number of revolutions while the firstcam makes one revolution, a second cam follower actuated by the secondcam, said second cam follower engaging the work table so as to move thework table in a direction normal to the movements imparted to the worktable by the first cam follower, said second cam imparting a series ofmovements to the work table for each movement of the work table by thefirst cam, and resilient means for urging the work table in a directionopposing the movement of the cams.

4. A work feeding mechanism for feeding a work .piece intermittently toan operating tool, said work feeding mechanism including a work supportmounted for transverse movements, a pair of cams, cam followersextending from the cams to the Work support, each of said cams having aseries of concentric cam surfaces, successive cam surfaces progressivelyincreasing in diameter throughout one-half of the cam and progressivelydecreasing throughout the other half of the cam, means forintermittently driving one of the cams, a change speed device forconnecting the other cam to said one cam, said change speed devicecausing said other cam to make a predetermined number of revolutionswhile the first cam makes one revolution, said cams rotating in planesat right angles to each other, one of said cams intermittently actuatingthe work support in one direction through a series of steps duringone-half of a revolution after which the other cam actuates the worksupport in a direction normal to said first direction through one step,and resilient means for urging the work support in a direction opposingthe movement of the cams.

HAROLD E. FOLKERTH, SR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7,552 Vine et a1. Aug. 6, 1850383,898 Moreau June 5, 1888 1,560,918 Stubgen Nov. 10, 1925

